Originally Posted by tubby linton
"In auto mode, the amount of heat provided by the heaters is modulated following what the "probes" themselves are sensing. When anti-ice is selected ON, full heating is provided, whatever the "probes" are sensing. It makes sense if you are considering that the "probes" are freezing because the heaters were not delivering the correct amount of heat at the first place."
That is not how I read 1.30.50 p1/2.There are two heating modes with Airbus,low heat on the ground and high heat when airborne for the pitots.There have been numerous incidents where this changeover has not occurred giving the crew lots of problems.I have also seen where the pitots have cooked in the sun of the Indian Ocean to a threshold above the warning causing nuisance ecam.
Reconsidering your comment in the light of the manual, the hard fact is that, (I'm sorry), but you may be absolutely right about this point!
I'm trying to find where I have read that without success! Now, Turbine D's original question can't be answered as the crew could have refered also to another anti-ice push buton (engine, wings) unrelated with the probes/windshield heaters. The most probable explanation would then be that icing ended (all by itself) at probe's level if no "super-heating" was ever available.